Choreographers who work in an expressionist vein tend to be overwhelmed by influence- by Martha Graham, with her heavy-handed symbolism, or preachy Alvin Ailey, or abject Pina Bausch. But Erica Essner, a recent transplant from San Francisco, takes up big and dark subjects without resorting to expressionisms's broad strokes. —Apollinaire Scherr, The New Yorker

Erica Essner's dances have a stiff-limbed elegance that makes them awkard and graceful at the same time . The choreographer also has a good eye for detailed complementarities, so when seemingly disparate movements fall into unison, these movements seem natural and logical. —Rita Felciano-San Francisco Bay Guardian

.... expresses sweeping obsessive passion in physical terms, with a body intent on stretching itself to every extreme. —Eva Yaa Asantewaa, Village Voice

Frequently powerful...striking display of stormy passions. —Jack Anderson, The New York Times

Erica Essner, whose Back to Tijuca, an inventive group piece for transient couples, was consistently, unself-consciously quirky in the best way. Akiko Furukawa stood out for the cheeky nonchalance of her performing. —Jennifer Dunning, New York Times